Because Of You
by Arctica Ice
Summary: As usual Raven is loathing Christmas and feeling depressed until a certain Charming joins her. Can he help her get over her depression? Maybe he can even make it her best.


The snow crunched softly beneath her boot cladded feet as she trudged along without drive in silence. On every house, tree, hedge everywhere was covered in decorative lights, garlands, tinsel and Christmas cheer in general. It was near impossible to miss a Christmas tree. If you did you were blind. Her eyes quickly diverted from her colourful surroundings to the snow covered side walk. Her attempts to block the merry carols drifting in the air prove to be futile.

Oh, how she loathed this holiday. All it did, every year, was bring back up painfully repressed memories she wished she could lock in a safe. All she wanted was to forget and move on but apparently that wasn't meant to happen. How was she to enjoy a family themed holiday when she had practically no family? With no siblings, a constantly disappearing father and an imprisoned mother, who was she supposed to spend Christmas with?

Raven Queen walked on steadily dragging her feet through the snow. Where was she going? She did not have the faintest idea. Unable to take the gaiety of Christmas anymore she just left. No jacket, no scarf, no hat nothing. She was only decked in a black skinny jeans and an elbow length T-shirt. Her body was shivering. Not that she noticed. Or cared. The jovial sounds of laughter and gay Christmas songs began to annoy her, not to mention the smell of pine trees. It was all sickening.

The sullen teen kept on walking with no real destination in mind. She wasn't usually one to be so surly and bad tempered but ironically the immense amount of cheer was making her quite doleful. It has been suggested by many to spend Christmas with a friend or two. Only problem was she didn't have many of those, many often avoided her as if she had Ebola. Besides it would seem wrong to impose on her friends Christmas celebrations. After all it was their time to spend with their family, why ruin it with her presence.

It had seemed her feet had taken her in to a nearby park. It was empty and covered in snow. The bare trees added to the scenery along with the frozen pond. An icy breeze blew causing Raven to shudder a bit. Raven bee lined for the nearest bench and sat on it. Her eyes went skywards absorbing the beauty from above. The stars shone as diamonds would in a sea of inky blackness, against the night sky. The crescent moon which was a last quarter was like a dew drop displaying its opalescence, casting beauty and a slivery light all across the land.

Raven gave a small smile. The magnificence of the night often left her in awe. The night was peaceful and mysterious, she enjoyed it. But soon she sighed and gave up. The night just reminded her of the precious time she last spent with her mother. The memory caused her heart to ache. Tears threaten to spill from her violet eyes. Raven started sniffling.

"Raven?" A gentle voice asked.

Raven's heart skipped a beat. She turned around and saw Dexter Charming. The handsome yet dorky teenaged boy looked down at her with worry. Raven stared through his glasses. Crystalline blue eyes looked back her mixed with worry, confusion and a little sadness. Now worried he sat beside her. Raven quickly tried to dry her eyes.

"Raven, what's wrong?" Dexter inquired. "Why were you crying?"

"It's nothing." Raven struggled to regain her composure.

Dexter placed a hand on her shoulder. "Raven you're not okay.

At his words her emotional dam broke apart. Every emotion Raven had felt over the years split out. Bitterness. Resentment. Sadness. And the most dominant, loneliness. Raven began sobbing uncontrollably which in turn startled Dexter. Dexter's eyes at the sight of seeing the tough, resilient Raven Queen break down in tears.

"Uh, R-r-ra-a-ven d-d-did I say something?" Dexter stammered out. "I-I-I I can leave you alone if you want."

Dexter rose from the bench, but Raven's hand reached out and grabbed him, gripping him tightly. Dexter looked back at the girl in puzzlement. Tears streamed down her already tear stained face.

"No, I don't want you to leave." Raven replied tearfully. "I'm…... fragile right now."

Dexter heart softened and he caved in and he sat back down. Raven gratefully scooted closer to him and sat with her back in his chest. She revelled in the warmth he was emitting. His steady heartbeat was soothing music to her ears. Dexter wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in closer causing a sigh to come from Raven. The two of them sat in blissful silence. To give herself more comfort, Raven rested her head on Dexter's shoulder. Within minutes snow began to fall.

Dexter watched the snow fall as it started to blanket the park. He watched them cascade closer to them and land ever so gently. He felt Raven shudder in his arms as a snowflake fell on one of the exposed places of her body. He glanced at the milky white, pale skinned girl and realized she wasn't even wearing a sweater. He wondered silently, why wasn't she wearing thicker clothes? But none the less he carefully took of his jacket and draped across her frozen shoulder which left him in a green and red sweater with Santa faces dotting it. Raven accepted it and tugged it closer around her chilled body but gave him a questioning gaze.

Unable to look her in the eyes without blushing, Dexter looked away. "Y-Y-Y-You were shivering a-a-and I didn't want you to feel cold."

"But won't you be cold too?" Raven reasoned.

"I-I-I at least have on a sweater, s-s-so I'll manage." Dexter stammered.

"Still, won't the cold still get to you?" Raven pressed.

She was not making this easy. "It would have a harder time getting to me than you without the jacket."

Raven smiled. He finally stopped stammering. "You could still catch pneumonia."

"And you're so invincible not to."

Raven laughed. Dexter smiled. He loved her laugh; it was like the tinkling sound of water glasses played. If he ever heard an angel laugh Raven's laugh would mimic it, unfortunately he didn't get to hear it very often.

"True." Raven replied as she snuggled further in to him.

There was a short pause. During the pause Dexter decided to ask something so his curiosity would be satisfied

"Raven?" Dexter asked carefully.

"Hmm?"

"Why do you hate Christmas so much?"

"Well, why do you like Christmas so much?" Raven countered.

Dexter brightened up. "Christmas is my favourite time of the year. The decorations are beautiful, I love sipping hot-coco with my family, frolicking in the snow, just about everything. But most of all I love decorating the tree with my family." His eyes glazed over as he stared off in the distance. "Even though Daring often bugs me and my parents nag, I love for them to be around at Christmas." He looked down at Raven. "How does that explain you?"

"What was the main theme running through?" Raven asked.

Dexter paused. "My family."

"Exactly." Raven sat up properly. "I don't have one, at least not to celebrate with."

Dexter cocked his head. "What do you mean?"

Raven sighed before explaining. "Dexter, my mom is in prison, my dad is hardly ever to be found and I have no siblings. I'm lonely. Sure I could spend Christmas with my friends but all I'm doing is imposing on their family time. Besides it not like I have many friends you know."

Dexter did know and the reason for it. Raven and her mother have a striking resemblance in both looks and personality wise. Unfortunately Raven's mother was infamous for poisoning a fellow classmate's mother, Apple White's. Plus she had been convicted criminally insane, rumours had it that she couldn't even remember her own daughter, but Dexter didn't know how true that was and he wasn't stupid enough to ask. Because of the resemblance between them, everyone was convinced Raven would turn out the same way but he failed to believe that and due to that assumption people avoided Raven like the plague. The bullying went on enough for her to be dubbed the Evil Queen. For that reason alone Raven became secluded and antisocial.

Dexter decided to talk. "So, you're lonely?"

"I always am, just worse at Christmas." Raven told him impassively. "My mom is so nuts she doesn't know who I am anymore so I just gave up hoping to spend a Christmas with her. My good for nothing father left her to go with another woman. He visits me but it still hurts."

The water works started again which caused her mascara to run even more.

"How could he just forget about her?" Raven cried. She calmed down enough to chuckle lightly. "I must sound deranged."

Dexter who fell silent at the beginning of her tirade regained the power of speech. He pulled her closer to him.

"No, no. It's great you're letting it out." Dexter reassured. "You needed to let go you emotions. You can't keep them bottled up forever."

Dexter stood up and stretched to pop the few creaks in his neck. The few snowflakes which had settled on his shoulders he brushed off before helping up Raven.

"We should probably get home out of the cold." Dexter suggested. He gazed upwards briefly. "Besides it seems like we're going to have a heavy snowfall tonight."

"True, I can't allow you to get bronchitis." Raven teased.

Dexter smirked. "Says the one who didn't wear or even think to wear a jacket."

Raven gave a small chortle. "Touché." She brushed away the last of her tears before speaking. "I must look a mess."

Dexter stared at her tear stained face. Beneath the sliver moonlight he saw the narrow, dark trails of her ran mascara lining her face; red, puffy eyes were obvious but Dexter only saw the violet orbs that replicated amethyst gems, her multi toned hair was frazzled and littered with melting snowflakes. Though she looked the way she was there was still an air of regal and elegance. Maybe it was the way she stood or the way she still kept her chin up in pride or the fact that she was so strong and independent. Dexter wasn't sure but there was no doubt. No matter how she looked, she was still that beautiful girl who expressed her individuality every day. The one who had stolen his heart the day he laid eyes on her.

"Of course not. You look gort." Dexter rushed. Dexter face palmed. "I meant great not gort."

He began to mutter to himself. "Why would I say that? What is gort anyway? Is that even a word?"

"It's okay." Raven snickered. "Thanks for it anyway."

"Yeah, you're welcome I guess." Dexter began to rub the back of his neck. "Well, I better get home anyway. Have a merry Christmas Raven."

Dexter began to walk away making a fresh set of prints as he left Raven standing there in his jacket. To Raven he lived up to his name. True he wasn't as charming as his brother but unlike his brother he was sweet, sensitive and gentle even though he was a little dorky. The chilled night blew gently ruffling his chestnut brown hair. Raven tugged the blue, heavy jacket closer around her slender frame. After a moment of thought she raced after him.

"Dexter! Dexter!" She called after him.

Dexter turned to face her. "Don't worry about the jacket Raven you can re-"

The rest of his sentence went unspoken. Why? Raven had pressed her lips on to his, taking Dexter completely by surprise. His eyes were wide in surprise and his face was a brilliant red but seconds later his eyes closed in bliss as he kissed back. For a girl who was out in the cold, her lips were amazingly warm. He felt Raven's arms wrap around his neck as he savoured the taste of her lips.

Raven relished in the soft feel of Dexter's tender lips and his chocolate taste. Greedily, she breathed in his smell of spices and sugar and him, her sweet, delicious smell of black cherry and vanilla. His tongue pushed against her lips hungrily begging for entrance which she allowed. The small ignited spark between them escalated into an explosion of emotion, all poured into that loving kiss. But like all humans they needed air. The two of them broke apart for the much needed oxygen with much reluctance. Their foreheads touched as the both of them stared into each other's eyes with inextinguishable happiness; the panting was just a back ground noise. The smiles on their faces told it all.

"What that for?" Dexter asked slightly confused.

"For the best Christmas I have had in years." Raven whispered.

**AN: I hope all of you who read this enjoyed this little piece of fluff. According to my friend who read it said all the fluff was cliché but if you look at most of my work it NEVER has fluff or romance of any kind so I tried my earnest with this. I would love it if you tell me what you think. Have a merry Christmas, Kwanza, Hanukah, whatever else that is celebrated out there that I missed and a prosperous new year.**

**Arctica Ice.**


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